Alan Burns presented the breakfast show on Dublin station Energy 103 in 1986 and 1987. This recording was made on a cold morning in the autumn of 1986 but despite the weather, there’s plenty to keep listeners engaged including a prize of a food hamper, horoscopes and a ‘beat the intro’ competition. Some well-known voices on adverts include Tony Allan (RIP), Colm Hayes and Pat Courtenay and there’s a recorded insert featuring Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders. News on the half-hour is read by George Long (Henry O’Donovan, RIP), who also presents an idiosyncratic newspaper review that wouldn’t make it on air by today’s standards.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 103 FM between 0755-0843 on 23rd October 1986.

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This is another recording of the early days of KISS FM from Foley Street in Dublin’s north inner city (1985-86). Our recording features Clem Francis in a late-night slot not long after the station was launched. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 104.2 FM (announcing 105) between 2242-2328 on 18th May 1985.

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KISS FM from Foley Street in Dublin’s north inner city was one of several pirates using that name over the decades. This KISS FM (1985-86) emerged from the second iteration of Dublin Community Radio (DCR), was owned by two German businessmen and managed by David Baker. This recording was made not long after the station’s launch and features Peter Collins on the breakfast programme. Despite the time of day, adverts are scarce and there are some technical issues with the music, so the station was clearly still finding its feet.

The tape was made from 104.2 FM (announcing 105) between 0830-0915 on 7th May 1985. It is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Radio Skywave International was a 1980s shortwave station broadcasting from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.

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This recording is of a test broadcast by Radio City 2, which was linked to the early Cork pirate Radio City (1980-1982). The frequency is 88.8 FM, distinct from the main channel on 95.5, but the station’s AM frequency on 1512 kHz (199 metres) is also mentioned. The presenter is Pete Andrews (O’Neill) and sound quality is poor at first, due to distorted audio levels in studio. As nobody involved can remember Radio City 2, it is more likely that this was an engineering test than the beginnings of an offshoot station, distinct from the main service.

The airchecked recording is from an undated Saturday night but we estimate it to be from April or May 1981. Thanks to Lilian O’Donoghue for the donation.

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Pirate stations often became embroiled in politics not just because they were broadcasting without licences but also due to the unregulated nature of the radio scene. One issue that caused friction was Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act that prohibited broadcast interviews with spokespersons for Sinn Féin and the IRA. Although RTÉ implemented the law strictly, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) opposed it on the grounds of media censorship. As they operated outside the law anyway, some pirate stations ignored Section 31 and occasionally paid the consequences. For instance, in 1982 the Radio Leinster presenter Gavin Duffy announced that he would interview Gerry Adams and other senior Sinn Féin figures. The station received a warning from the Department of Posts and Telegraphs and Duffy was fired. Another consequence was that politicians who appeared on the pirates were blacklisted by RTÉ, depriving themselves of coverage at election time. In a direct challenge to Section 31, temporary pirate stations supporting Sinn Féin or H-Block candidates also popped up from time to time.

This recording of a late-night talk show on Radio Dublin was made a few days before the general election on 17th February 1987 and is an example of how rules about balance in political coverage often did not apply to the pirates. Presenter Pat Jennings – himself a member of the NUJ – states that he is opposed to the broadcasting ban and interviews Paul Davidson (Tony Donlon, RIP) of Anoraks Ireland about how it plays out in the pirate world. There are also live calls from listeners giving their views on the election and in studio are former H-Block candidate Tony O’Hara and Dublin City Councillor Seán Dublin Bay Rockall Loftus. The owner of Radio Dublin, Eamon Cooke, was well known for his republican sympathies and the station was one of a handful that did not broadcast a minute’s silence in November 1987 after the IRA bombed the war memorial ceremony in Enniskillen.

The label states that the recording was made from 105 FM on Saturday 14th February 1987 between 0045-0133, but it sounds like there are a few edits. The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

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This recording of Dublin station Energy 103 features the legendary Tony Allan (RIP) on a late night show in 1986. The emphasis is on the music with minimal chat between records. The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 103 FM on Wednesday 22nd October 1986 between 2257-2345..

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This is another recording of Alan Edwards on his regular Saturday early evening slot on Radio City from 1981. There are the usual requests and a mixture of contemporary hits and oldies. Plenty of adverts are heard, and news headlines are read by Alan himself. He is followed at 1900 by Luke Ward with the weekly Rock City Interviews show.

The partially airchecked recording was made between 1700-1900 on 25th April 1981 from 95.5 FM. Radio City also broadcast on 1512 kHz AM, announcing 199 metres. Thanks to Lilian O’Donoghue for the donation.

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Sunshine Radio (1980-1988) was located in the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock, which also housed the popular Tamango’s nightclub. Adverts for the club were heard on Sunshine and the station regularly broadcast from there. First up in this recording is Jim Kenny with the end of his weekly Midnight Megamix live from Tamango’s. News at 0200 is read by Stephen Plunkett, who is followed by Barry (Éamon) Falvey, with All-Night Sunshine.

The recording was made from 101.5 FM on Saturday 17th August 1985 between 0135-0220 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

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KISS FM from Monaghan Town was a short-lived but highly successful and professional pirate station that broadcast for only 9 months in 1988. Although many border pirates relied on Northern listeners and advertisers, few were professional or powerful enough to make inroads into Belfast. Work began in 1987 on establishing a professional commercial station whose signal would be viable to capture the Belfast market. Test transmissions began at the end of that year and after technical problems, KISS FM eventually launched officially on 27th March 1988 and began broadcasting full-time a few days later. Powerful signals on AM and FM reached to Belfast and beyond, making KISS FM a serious player in the Northern radio market during its short time on air.

This recording is of various evening shows from a Wednesday not long after KISS FM went on the air. First up is the end of the long afternoon shift with Owen Barry (Larkin), who is followed by John Friday (Lawrence John). Formatting is slick, with minimal talk, music sweeps and station jingles and liners. There’s also a promo for the US syndicated radio show, Gary Owens Music Weekend, and a small number of adverts for larger businesses and brands.

The recording was made from 103.7 between 1840-1928 on 6th April 1988 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. KISS FM also broadcast on 1008 kHz AM at this time.

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These recordings of Radio City from 1981 include excerpts spanning lunchtime, afternoon and early evening programmes. First up is Carl Johnson (Dan Noonan) with various examples of the 3-in-a-row feature from his daily lunchtime show. We also hear a new DJ in the Afternoon Delights slot, Jamie Roberts, who is clearly still learning the ropes. He is followed by Noel Evans (Welch), with part of the Homerun drivetime show.  

Dates of these recordings are uncertain but the cassette label mentions 11th May 1981. They were made from 95.5 FM and are courtesy of Lilian O’Donoghue.

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